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Rafi stood patiently on the stoop. He could hear yelling inside the house. There were several female voices, all them raised, and a dog barking. Then footsteps. Someone was running to the door.

When the door finally opened, a cute little girl around the age of ten or eleven answered the door, staring all the way up at Rafi. “Is your father home?” he asked.

The girl remained still and silent, staring at him with an open mouth.

“Janey? Who’s at the door?” another female voice called out.

“A big, scary man, momma!” the little girl replied, still gripping the doorknob.

Rafi didn’t react, but he continued to stare down at the little girl. She looked oddly similar to Carys. Was this what Carys had looked like when her father had abandoned her?

Before he could ponder that question, a woman walked up behind the girl, drying her hands on a towel. “Hello? Can I help you?”

Rafi pulled his eyes away from the girl to stare into the eyes of a woman that he’d seen on a video just days before. “You must be Beth Remington,” Rafi replied.

The woman blushed and extended her hand. “That’s me. How can I help you?”

Rafi ignored her outstretched hand. “I need to speak with Philip Remington.”

Beth clearly didn’t like that. She retracted her hand, obviously feeling awkward. She rested both of her hands and the dish towel on the girl’s shoulders. “That’s my husband. What do you want with him?”

“I don’t think–”

“Philip is my husband!” she snapped. The little girl winced as her mother’s grip tightened on her shoulders. “What do you want?”

“My business with Mr. Remington is personal. But expect a visit from the police, Ms. Remington.”

“The police?” she gasped, pulling back. Thankfully, her surprise eased the tension in her hands and the girl pulled away, escaping into the back of the house. “Why?”

“You will be arrested for breaking and entering and theft.”

The woman’s jaw dropped. “I did no such thing!” she hissed, then furtively looked over her shoulder. “Who the hell are you? How dare you come to my home and accuse me of such things!”

Rafi refrained from rolling his eyes. “You were caught on a security camera breaking into Carys Remington’s apartment.

Your fingerprints are everywhere and the police are getting a warrant to search your house.

You will be charged with breaking and entering as well as stalking, vandalism, and petty theft.

” Rafi took a breath, letting his words sink in.

“However, I’m not here because of your misdeeds.

I’m here to speak with your husband. I understand he’s here. I will speak with him.”

“You can’t!” she hissed and tried to close the front door. But Rafi put a hand on the door and pushed it open, stepping into her home without permission. “Get out of my house! You can’t just barge in here like this!”

“Beth?” a male voice called, coming from a room just off the foyer. “What’s going on?” he asked, then noticed Rafi in the doorway and froze. “What do you want? Who are you?”

“I am here to discuss Carys, Mr. Remington.”

Beth made an inelegant snort, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is this about that stupid girl?” She snorted again and moved to stand by her husband. “That ungrateful bitch has no place in our home!”

Rafi restrained himself, but it took more effort than he wished.

He glared at her until she couldn’t hold his gaze any longer. When she finally shifted uncomfortably and looked at the floor, Rafi turned to the man. “I need to speak to you privately, sir.”

Philip must have grasped the severity of the situation because he nodded slowly and gestured to a door behind him.

“We can talk in my office.” He brightened slightly.

“If this is about Carys, then I can’t wait to hear what you have to say.

I’ve been trying to get back into her life for the past several months.

I just…” he sighed dramatically. “I just want to get to know my oldest daughter again.” He led the way into his office and waited until Rafi was inside before closing the door on his wife’s objections.

“Have a seat,” Philip offered, gesturing to an old wingback chair that had seen better days.

He chuckled and waited, rubbing his hands together.

“So, Carys sent an intermediary, eh?” He chuckled as he moved to the sofa, jerking his slacks up as he lowered himself to the cushions.

“I understand. Women are so emotional, right? I mean, she could have just come to speak with me herself. It’s not as if I haven’t given her enough openings!

” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his thigh.

“But that’s women for ya, right? They just can’t get over their wounded feelings. But if this is her way of telling me–“

“Shut up,” Rafi snapped, losing patience with the pompous man as he dropped the heavy envelope on the low coffee table.

After a startled moment, Phillip demanded, “Excuse me?”

“I told you to shut up,” Rafi replied, completely calm now. Negotiating was his thing. He enjoyed setting the terms so that they were beneficial to him. And Carys.

The man opened his mouth, ready to speak, but Rafi wasn’t going to listen. He started first. “First of all, your daughter hates you and is considering changing her name to remove the last association she has with you.”

The man waved a hand dismissively. “Oh, that’s just silly.

She only wants to change her name to show me that her feelings were hurt because I remarried.

” He shook his head as if his thoughts were once more demeaning women.

“But once she and I talk, she’ll get over it.

That’s just…she’s just a silly girl, you know? ”

Rafi mentally rolled his eyes. “Actually, she’s a woman.

Your daughters are girls. Carys is a twenty-eight year old woman who is intelligent, creative, and beautiful.

” Rafi stared at the man, daring him to say otherwise.

“And Carys will never speak to you again. She has chosen to cut you out of her life. And that is her right.”

“That’s just…she’s being silly. I just need to talk to her.

That’s what I’ve been trying to do for months now.

It’s why I hired a lawyer to assist me in getting her to talk to me.

” He offered a patronizing sigh as he gestured to the manilla envelope.

“As soon as I talk to her and explain my side of things, I can make her see reason.” He shook his head again. “She’s being irrational.”

“So you decided to sue her? You’re using the judicial system to force a conversation with your daughter?

” Rafi asked, then shook his head, stunned by the man’s stupidity and arrogance.

“Actually, you will never speak to her again. And she’s not being irrational.

” Rafi moved to stand in front of Philip.

“You see, my fiancée has created a shield around herself that she’s developed to protect herself from men who will hurt her.

Like you did when you rejected and abandoned her. ”

Philip stood up and huffed. “But that’s just it! I didn’t abandon her!”

“Did you have an affair while still married to her mother?”

The man’s mouth opened and closed, but eventually, he admitted the truth. “Well, yes, but that’s all ancient history.”

“Did you then divorce your wife and marry your mistress?”’

Philip rolled his eyes and huffed slightly. “Yes, but I had to follow my heart!”

“Yes, I see that you were a highly impulsive man who didn’t give a damn about the tender heart of a young girl who needed her father.”

Philip’s mouth pressed into a thin line, revealing that he was offended by that interpretation. Then he blurted out, “See? That’s exactly what I’m trying to do now! I want back in her life.”

“After marrying your mistress, did you then move across the country because your new wife had a better job opportunity thousands of miles away?”

Philip threw his arms in the air with exasperation. “Yes, but that’s just economics. Carys has to understand that.”

“No, she doesn’t need to understand your side of the story.

You moved to another state and left Carys all alone.

You abandoned her. Despite your stupidity and callous actions, Carys has grown into an intelligent, beautiful woman.

And she wants nothing to do with you. It doesn’t matter how many frivolous lawsuits you throw at her. She won’t let you back into her life.”

The man’s bushy eyebrows lowered over his blue eyes. “She’ll change her mind if I could just talk to her!”

Rafi shook his head. “Did you seriously think that a lawsuit would force her to have that conversation?”

Phillip sighed. “Yes. I couldn’t get her to talk to me. So, I hired a lawyer. He thinks the courts will force Carys to sit down and listen to my side of the story.”

“That won’t happen,” Rafi stated firmly. “The lawyer you retained is a scam artist and nothing more. But by all means, keep on convincing yourself that forcing your daughter into a court ordered conversation will end all of the hatred Carys holds for you.”

“Now see here!” the man sputtered.

Rafi waved him into silence. “You need to focus on your family, Philip. Your wife is about to be arrested for breaking and entering and theft. Your home will be searched by the police. She’s probably going to be charged with more crimes too.

” Rafi shoved his hands into his pockets.

“I’m going to ask the district attorney personally to charge your wife with every possible crime she thinks will stick.

” Rafi leaned forward, using an almost conspiratorial tone.

“I’m very good at getting people to do what I want, Philip. ”

“But…Beth didn’t…!”

“She did. Her break-in was captured on video. So, you need to get a good lawyer.” He tilted his head slightly. “Oh, right. You already have a lawyer.”

Phillip looked panicked now. “It’s just–”

“You wanted to drag Carys through the courts because she refused to listen to your pathetic, sad, miserable excuses about how your treatment of her isn’t your fault.”

Phillip shook his head. “That’s not how it is!”

Rafi was beyond disgusted. “Here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to focus on your family. I’m going to marry Carys. The wedding will be in the news because Carys is going to become my wife, which will make her a princess.”

“Huh?”

“That’s right, Mr. Remington. I’m Prince Rafi Al-Sintra of Lativa.

And Carys will be a royal princess. She’s going to be my wife.

” His voice dropped. “And if you, or any member of your family, give even a hint of an interview to any reporter, if you say one bad thing about my fiancée, ever, for the rest of your life, then I will ensure that you lose your house, your job, and everything you hold dear.” He moved closer.

“I will sue you for slander and I will use all the power and resources of the Lativa publicity department, an incredibly well-funded agency, to ensure that you and your wife are portrayed as the very epitome of a horrible family. I will ruin your reputation in this country and any other country in which you try to escape.” He was almost whispering now.

“So you’re going to drop the lawsuit you just sent to my fiancée a few days ago.

You’re going to stay completely silent on your relationship with Carys.

You’re never going to speak a word to her or about her.

You’re going to forget that you have a daughter named Carys. ”

“But I’m her father!” he gasped. “I have a right to be in her life.”

“No, Philip. You gave up that right when you abandoned your daughter in order to be with your mistress. And now Carys doesn’t want you in her life.

” Rafi pulled back, looking into the man’s terrified eyes.

“Don’t worry. I have aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews that are all eager to welcome her into their lives.

She will have a real family.” Rafi looked around at the drab office.

“She’ll have a family that is warm and caring.

Not a pathetic little man who is too fickle and insecure to see reality.

” Rafi walked over to the doorway just as the doorbell rang.

“That will be the police with the search warrant. You’re going to be very busy for a while, Mr. Remington.

Too busy to stalk and harass Carys. Take care of the family you have.

They’re going to need you in the next twelve to fifteen months.

And however long your wife is in prison. ”

Rafi walked out, nodding to the police detective who was conducting the search.

Twenty minutes later, standing on the front stoop of the obnoxious woman’s townhome, Rafi could barely control his irritation with Tanya.

His former marketing assistant director was wearing a barely-there silk negligee.

He sighed impatiently, wishing he hadn’t had his assistant call ahead to ask for a moment of her time.

“Tanya, when I asked to speak to you, it wasn’t for a seduction scene. ”

“But, Rafi,” she teased, running a hand down over the lace barely covering one breast, “why not?”

He stepped back, making more space on the stoop.

“I just came by to let you know that your assault on Carys was sent to the police,” he informed her, noticing that her fingers froze while her face turned an unflattering shade of white.

“Turns out, there were several businesses with video cameras that caught you knocking into Carys several weeks ago.”

“I was just going for a run,” she claimed, shifting her hip.

“You parked your car two blocks away, waited for Carys to come out, then started running.” He watched her carefully. “You altered your running path specifically so that you could run into her, shoulder-checking her in a move that any hockey player would be proud of.”

“No, I was just…!”

“You assaulted a co-worker, Tanya. And I’m personally terminating your employment.

Your office has been emptied of all personal items. Your security badge has been deactivated.

If you enter the building, you will be arrested immediately for trespassing.

” He shoved his hands into his pockets, watching her features shift from smug confidence to horror. “Do I make myself clear?”

Tanya’s glossy lips went slack, but the woman rallied quickly. She pulled the sides of her silk robe closer. “Perfectly clear, sir.”

Rafi didn’t say anything more. If he was reading the woman correctly, Tanya wouldn’t cause any more trouble. But if she did, Rafi would follow through on his threat. Carys would never have to deal with that kind of bitchiness again!